In 1976, Chapman played with a rock and pop group called "Harmony" in Montgomery, Alabama, effectively replacing Tommy Shaw who had just left to join Styx. She played acoustic guitar and piano as well as providing vocals for the group in a locally-popular bowling alley bar called Kegler's Kove and has returned to play in the area on an infrequent basis ever since.
Chapman has had several popular songs on the Adult-Contemporary charts in the 1990's, such as "I Keep Coming Back To You", "Walk My Way", "The Moment You Were Mine" and "All I Have". In 1993, she sang a popular duet with Paul Carrack, "In The Time It Takes". In early 2010 Chapman's "Back To Love" album was #1 on the UK itunes country charts.
Co-songwriter of Faith Hill's hit song, "This Kiss", many other singers have interpreted her songs: Trisha Yearwood ("Down On My Knees"), Martina McBride ("Happy Girl"), Willie Nelson (“Nothing I Can Do About it Now”), Tanya Tucker (“Strong Enough to Bend”), Lorrie Morgan (“Five Minutes”), Mary Chapin Carpenter (“Almost Home”), Bette Midler ("The Color of Roses") and others.
Bonnie Raitt has sung background vocals on several songs, including "Shake My Soul".
Chapman's husband Ernest Chapman died of cancer in 1994. In 2000, Beth experienced her own battle with breast cancer. The song "Sand And Water" was written after Ernest's death; Elton John performed this song during his 1997 World Tour.
Discography
* Hearing It First (1980)
* Beth Nielsen Chapman (1990)
* You Hold the Key (1993)
* Sand and Water (1997)
* Greatest Hits (1999)
* Deeper Still (2002)
* Hymns (2004)
* Look (2005)
* Prism (2007)
Peace
Beth Nielsen Chapman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down the road of my own mistakes
In the hope you could hear me pray
Oh Lord, keep me in Your reach
How I've longed through these wasted years
To outrun all the pain and fear
Turned to stone from my un-cried tears
Love won't compromise
It's a gift it's a sacrifice
My soul renewed and my heart released
In you I'll find my peace
Oh, wondrous child of whom the angels sing
Know my joy, feel my suffering
Shining star make this love you bring
So bright that I may believe
That my way will not be lost
From now on, 'til that river's crossed
My soul renewed and my spirit free
In you I'll find my peace
My soul renewed and my spirit free
In you I'll find my peace
In "Peace," Beth Nielsen Chapman sings about finding inner peace with the help of a higher power. The song begins with the singer acknowledging her past mistakes and expressing her hope that God will hear her prayers and keep her in His reach. The lyrics reveal her desire to leave behind the pain and fear of her past and find solace in a love that won't compromise.
Chapman's hauntingly beautiful voice lends poignancy to the message of the song, which highlights the power of faith and trust in a divine force to heal and restore. The lyrics suggest that by surrendering oneself to this force, one can find peace even in the midst of turmoil and suffering.
Throughout the song, Chapman employs religious imagery, such as the angels singing about the wondrous child who brings love and joy, to underscore the spiritual nature of her quest for peace. She also touches on the theme of redemption, suggesting that even those who have gone astray can find their way back if they open their hearts to love and faith.
Overall, "Peace" is a deeply moving and spiritual song that speaks to the human desire for inner harmony and a sense of purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
I have come from so far away
I have traveled a long distance to reach you
Down the road of my own mistakes
I have made a lot of wrong choices and lived through their consequences
In the hope you could hear me pray
I am praying with the hope of being heard by you
Oh Lord, keep me in Your reach
Please keep me close to you
How I've longed through these wasted years
I have spent years yearning for something better
To outrun all the pain and fear
To escape from the suffering and fear I have faced
Turned to stone from my un-cried tears
I have held back so many tears that I have become numb
And now it's your grace I seek
I am seeking your mercy
Love won't compromise
True love cannot be bargained or given on conditions
It's a gift it's a sacrifice
Love is both a blessing and a sacrifice
My soul renewed and my heart released
I have found peace and my heart is now unburdened
In you I'll find my peace
I believe that you are the source of my inner peace
Oh, wondrous child of whom the angels sing
You are a divine being who is celebrated by angels
Know my joy, feel my suffering
Understand my happiness and my pain
Shining star make this love you bring
May your love shine bright and be felt by all
So bright that I may believe
That your love is so powerful that I cannot help but believe in it
That my way will not be lost
I trust that I will not lose my path
From now on, 'til that river's crossed
I will stay on this path until the end
My soul renewed and my spirit free
I have found a sense of liberation and renewal
In you I'll find my peace
I believe that you are the source of my inner peace
Contributed by Violet N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.